Jeannette Larsen Santoro

Jeannette Alyce Santoro left this life on September 10, 2017 at the Vidant Hospice House in Greenville, NC. She succumbed to cancer that had been detected in mid-April.

Jeannette was born on January 15, 1944 in Brooklyn, NY to Roberta and Ralph Larsen. In the early 1950s her family moved to Cresskill, NJ where she was raised. Her natural artistic talents led her towards fashion design and the exploration of all manner of creative pursuits. Upon marrying the sweetheart of her teen years, her energies turned toward homemaking, of which she was a master. Whether lovingly crafting curtains or clothes for her husband and daughter, knitting or quilting, growing a garden, or cooking meals from scratch, her primary vocation and greatest joys came from acts of devotion and concern for her family and friends. Her generosity of spirit, gentle goodness, and kind example touched all who knew her.

In 1988 Jeannette and husband Nicholas moved from New Jersey to Whortonsville, NC where they became part of a community remarkable for its warmth and openness. They built a simple life made rich and full by an abundance of friendship and good cheer, establishing the Ensign Harbor Marina and the Whortonsville Yacht and Tractor Club in 1990. Accomplished sailors, they ran the WYTC Summer Solstice Sailebration (a locally renowned regatta for mixed classes of sailboats) from 1990 until 2009. Jeannette was a superlative seamstress, having worked with local custom sailboat canvas shops for many years, eventually running her own canvas and upholstery business. Using a specialty textile invented by her daughter, she designed and fabricated numerous pieces of wearable art that have been included in gallery and museum exhibitions internationally.

She is survived by her loving husband Nicholas Santoro; daughter Alyce Santoro and her husband Julian Mock; brother Ralph Larsen and sister-in-law Josephine Larsen; nephew Myles Larsen and his wife Heather and their children Grant and Masten; nephew Paul Larsen; niece Caroline Larsen Simpson and her husband Jesse and their children Alyssa, Owen, Juliana, and Theadora; sister- and brother-in-law Mary Pitts and Lawrence Pitts; niece Jennifer Pitts and her husband Sankar Muthu and their children Lucia and Nicholas; nephew John Pitts; and many beloved friends and neighbors.

The time and date of a local celebration of Jeannette’s life will be announced soon.

Jeannette was a passionate supporter of the Pamlico County Public Library. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the library in Jeannette’s name: 603 Main Street, Bayboro, NC 28515